artist feature: matt dembicki

Comic book artist, independent press publisher, and all around way cool fella, Matt Dembicki was kind enough to answer a ten question e-mail interview I had recently sent his way.

1. Steve: First off, tell me about your new publishing group, Three Crows Press. Is it all comics? You mentioned wanting to branch out and showcase some international talent.

Matt: I switched names because explaining WASP Comics was becoming a hassle. WASP stands for Washington Area Small Press. I thought it was a witty name. But as I branch out into mainstream and noncomic areas, some folks have gotten suspicious of the name, thinking it might be political, culture, whatever. I've had people ask whether it was an Aryan movement or something! (Clearly they didn't bother to check out my comics, which are mostly about turtles and frogs.) So I killed WASP Comics and launched Three Crows Press. The new name is in homage to the crows in my Mr. Big comic and to my family, of which there are three of us.

I've toyed with publishing works of some international creators, but I think that would require more time and resources than I can devote right now. For the time being, I'm going to focus only on my own works.

2. Steve: Now that Mr. Big has had its run and has been compiled and released as a graphic novel through Little Foot, what's your latest major creative endeavor?

Matt: I wrote a story for a comics anthology coming from Random House called "Postcards". Basically, creators were given authentic, old postcards and had to develop a story around the brief text on the postcard. My tale, "Send Louis His Underwear", is about cabin fever during winter on a farm in Pennsylvania. It's an experiment for me as I used very few words while trying to convey a sense of dread. Artist Jason Copland did a spectacular job capturing the mood.

In terms of self-published projects, "MonstraCity" (with Steve Loya himself on art!) should be out in a few weeks. It's a great little 20-page tribute to old science fiction and monster movies with a moral. I'm also working on a magazine-size comic tentatively called "Bad Habits". It's basically nuns with guns and attitudes. I'm co-writing with my wife, Carol, and I'm illustrating it.

Also in the works is a graphic novel called Liquid Revolver. I've teamed up with a group of about eight comic artists with each person taking a chapter. It's a very challenging story to do, and working with that many folks on a single project can be like herding cats, but when it works out, I think the final project will be very nice.

3. Steve: I really like the recent work you did based on some slam poetry. How did you get involved with that?

Matt: Austin, Texas-based punk rocker/poet Wammo posted on a messageboard he was looking for comic artists to illustrate his poems. I took a look at a few of them and really dug them. I felt I could really move around in illustrating one of them without concurring to the typical comic-book parameters, especially when it came time to do lettering. I did a two-page comic on Wammo's poem "God", which was a blast--images of praying mantises with bunny heads, weird stuff like that.

4. Steve: I'm impressed at how consistently productive you are, while holding down a day job and raising a family. What drives you the most?

Matt: As odd or narcissistic as it may sound, it's to build a legacy for my family and for future generations to get an idea of who I was, what I liked, and such. I didn't get back into comics until 9/11. Until then, I was really into sports, especially ultimate frisbee and triathlons. But 9/11 forced me to do some reflecting. Accomplishments in sports are fleeting, and no one wants to hear about how cool a play you did was twenty years ago. But comics and art are different. You can hold them and show them to someone, and folks will look at it, whether good or not. And there's something to show for your life. Basically, my comics are my life's portfolio.

5. Steve: I know you were in a sort of creative slump for many years. I'm personally climbing out of a long one myself and kicking myself for avoiding art for so long. Do you feel as if you're making up for lost time at all?

Matt: No, I don't think of it that way. First and foremost, making comics is a hobby for me. I'm not a professional--I don't do it for a living. If I feel I'm getting burnt out, I take a break and it's not a big deal because I don't depend on it for income. Another good thing about being an amateur is that I can do the comics that I want to do, which keeps me interested and motivated. If I had to draw someone else's work for a living, I don't think I'd enjoy it as much--if at all.



6. Steve: How did you learn about self-publishing your work--about the finances, materials, printers, etc.?

Matt: Most of it is a mix of trial and error and learning how other folks did it. The more comics I made, the more sophisticated I became--I knew what paper was best to print on, who offered the best deals for the best quality, the types of brushes I like, the best venues to sell my books. It's a continual learning process.

7.Steve: I had fun participating in the Dr. Dremo two book with you and the rest of the DC Conspiracy crew. Are there any more collaborative comic jams in store with DCC?

Matt: Yes, we're always working on something. Right now, members of the group are working on Dr. Dremo #4, for which I'll be doing the cover. We're also putting together a comic for Free Comic Book Day on Saturday, May 5. It should be available at the major DC-area comic book shops for free. My contribution is "Symphony", which is a Mr. Big-like story. It's actually included in the Mr. Big trade, but I colored it for the free comic just to see what it would look like.

8.Steve: If the Dremo's bar closes down, where will DCC converge in the future?

Matt: We're not sure. We've grown quite a bit since we formed more than two years ago. So the venue would have to be able to accomodate about 15-20 people. And we all enjoy beer, so that would have to be available in great supply also. We're not in a rush, though, as we've heard the bar will be open for at least another year.

9. Steve: I know you've been approached by some folks who might be interested in turning the Mr. Big story into an animated feature. I loved the Watership Down movie and see Big working in the same vein as that film. Any more word on that?

Matt: Yes, it's true. We've spoke with a well-known producer who has done a successful animated series for HBO, for which he won an Emmy. We're negotiating a contract now for representation, so I can't divulge any more info until it's all signed. I'm superstitious that way. It's exciting but I also have to have my feet grounded as most of these types of endeavors don't fly. We'll have to wait and see.

10. Steve: Do you have any advice for people who are interested in self-publishing their work but aren't quite sure where or how to begin?

Matt: I'd recommend going to a small-press comics show, like the Small Press Expo in Bethesda, MD, SPACE in Columbus, Ohio, or the Alternative Press Expo in San Francisco. See what other folks are doing, how they're doing it, why they're doing it. Ask them questions. People are always willing to talk about how they did a certain project and it's a great learning experience.


If you're interested in more of Matt's work, stop by the Three Crows Press blog, as well as the Wasp Whispers blog (see links). And remember, this Saturday, across America is "Free Comics Day"! If you're in the area, stop by Big Planet Comics in Vienna, VA, where Matt will be signing copies of Mr. Big.